Last Modified: Tuesday, April 30, 2013 at 3:09 p.m.

Facts

Looking for VA care?

At the time, the clinic was merely a good idea to fill a much needed gap in veteran medical care. In the past, patients in the Wilmington area seeking specialized services were referred to other Veterans' Administration (VA) clinics. Typically, that meant a trip to Fayetteville, about a four-hour round-trip drive.

After Tuesday's ceremony, veterans in Southeastern North Carolina need to only drive to the roughly 85,000-square-foot Wilmington Multi-Specialty Outpatient Clinic located near Wilmington International Airport.

Sens. Kay Hagan and Richard Burr and Rep. Walter Jones joined McIntyre Tuesday for the grand opening of Wilmington's newly constructed veterans' clinic. The clinic was funded by federal dollars earmarked by Congress.

"This will be here for years to come," McIntyre said. "It will be here for future generations."

McIntyre said the clinic was proposed in the late 1990s. Construction crews broke ground on the clinic, the first of its kind in North Carolina, in September 2011, with building and design costs coming in around $25 million.

The clinic had a "soft opening" for existing patients in March. On Tuesday, it was open to all veterans.

"This center is the type of investment in our veterans and in our communities that we not only need, but that we must protect," Hagan said. "Many of our veterans simply don't have the time or are unable to make the trip to Fayetteville, so I am thrilled that this new facility will allow our veterans in Southeastern North Carolina to spend less time driving, and more time receiving top-notch health care right here at home."

More than 200 people, including many veterans, Wilmington Mayor Bill Saffo and other local city and county leaders, attended the ceremony. The Ashley High School NJROTC unit provided a color guard and the Coastal Christian High School Honors Ensemble sang a rousing rendition of the National Anthem and the official song of all four services. Veterans from each service stood for their song.

Burr said Tuesday was a "proud day to be an American" because the clinic was a fulfillment of the nation's promise to help veterans. He pledged his ongoing support for providing veterans with access to quality health care.

The new clinic is eight times larger than Wilmington's current VA clinic on Medical Center Drive. The new health center brings different medical specialists under the same roof. Specialists will include optometrists, ophthalmologists, psychologists, psychiatrists, physical therapists, dentists and a prosthetics department.

"It has a whole battery of services that weren't available in this area," McIntyre said.

"For me, veterans issues are about more than just policy, they are personal," Hagan said. "We must do everything within our power to protect the promises we have made to our veterans and their families."

Jones gave the most passionate speech at the ceremony, praising the service of veterans and vowing to make sure promises of care are met. He was dismayed by reports that the CIA gave Afghan President Hamid Karzai bags of cash. The New York Times reported over the weekend the CIA gave Karzai "tens of millions of dollars over the past decade." Jones said that money should have been spent in America and on veterans. He vowed to make sure veterans are never "cheated out of one penny."

<p>Rep. Mike McIntyre broke ground on Wilmington's newly constructed veterans' clinic two years ago. </p><p>At the time, the clinic was merely a good idea to fill a much needed gap in veteran medical care. In the past, patients in the Wilmington area seeking specialized services were referred to other Veterans' Administration (VA) clinics. Typically, that meant a trip to Fayetteville, about a four-hour round-trip drive. </p><p>After Tuesday's ceremony, veterans in Southeastern North Carolina need to only drive to the roughly 85,000-square-foot Wilmington Multi-Specialty Outpatient Clinic located near <a href="http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/TOPIC9917"><b>Wilmington International Airport</b></a>.</p><p>Sens. Kay Hagan and Richard Burr and Rep. Walter Jones joined McIntyre Tuesday for the grand opening of Wilmington's newly constructed veterans' clinic. The clinic was funded by federal dollars earmarked by Congress.</p><p>"This will be here for years to come," McIntyre said. "It will be here for future generations."</p><p>McIntyre said the clinic was proposed in the late 1990s. Construction crews broke ground on the clinic, the first of its kind in North Carolina, in September 2011, with building and design costs coming in around $25 million. </p><p>The clinic had a "soft opening" for existing patients in March. On Tuesday, it was open to all veterans.</p><p>"This center is the type of investment in our veterans and in our communities that we not only need, but that we must protect," Hagan said. "Many of our veterans simply don't have the time or are unable to make the trip to Fayetteville, so I am thrilled that this new facility will allow our veterans in Southeastern North Carolina to spend less time driving, and more time receiving top-notch health care right here at home."</p><p>More than 200 people, including many veterans, Wilmington Mayor <a href="http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/topic72"><b>Bill Saffo</b></a> and other local city and county leaders, attended the ceremony. The Ashley High School NJROTC unit provided a color guard and the Coastal Christian High School Honors Ensemble sang a rousing rendition of the National Anthem and the official song of all four services. Veterans from each service stood for their song.</p><p>Burr said Tuesday was a "proud day to be an American" because the clinic was a fulfillment of the nation's promise to help veterans. He pledged his ongoing support for providing veterans with access to quality health care.</p><p>The new clinic is eight times larger than Wilmington's current VA clinic on Medical Center Drive. The new health center brings different medical specialists under the same roof. Specialists will include optometrists, ophthalmologists, psychologists, psychiatrists, physical therapists, dentists and a prosthetics department. </p><p>"It has a whole battery of services that weren't available in this area," McIntyre said.</p><p>Fred Roche, administrator of the Wilmington Multi-Specialty Outpatient Clinic, expects between 15,000 and 18,000 patients a year.</p><p>"For me, veterans issues are about more than just policy, they are personal," Hagan said. "We must do everything within our power to protect the promises we have made to our veterans and their families."</p><p>Jones gave the most passionate speech at the ceremony, praising the service of veterans and vowing to make sure promises of care are met. He was dismayed by reports that the CIA gave Afghan President Hamid Karzai bags of cash. The New York Times reported over the weekend the CIA gave Karzai "tens of millions of dollars over the past decade." Jones said that money should have been spent in America and on veterans. He vowed to make sure veterans are never "cheated out of one penny."</p><p><i></p><p>Kevin Maurer: 343-2339</p><p>On <a href="http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/news41"><b>Twitter</b></a>: @StarNewsKevin</i></p>